Mechanism for feeding explosive pellets to detonator cups



May 20, 1941. H. w. MORGAN MECHANISM FOR FEEDING EXPLOSIVE PELLETS TODETONATOR CUPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 19, 1959 INVENT OR.

ATTORNEY.

May 20, 1941. H. w. MORGAN 2,242,657

MECHANISM FOR FEEDING ExPLosIvE PELLETS To DETONATOR CUPS Filed April19, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Patentecl May 2G, 1941 MECHANISM FOR FEEDING EXPLO'SIVE PELLETS TO`DETONATOR CUPS [j 13 claims.

This i1fflvention relates to mechanism for feeding P'ellfts, one or moreat a time, from a lot, to a d 'Tt predetermined position with referenceto the mechanism. Among the objects of the invention are to providemechanism:

That handles the pellets throughout gently and delicately withoutscratching, deformation, or concussion so that the danger `of explosionof explosive pellets is eliminated; that is capable of nice adjustments,that has as a primary feeding element a plane-surfaced rotatable dial;that has one or more feeding tracks or channels having openings opposedto the direction of rotation of the dial; that has feeding channels forforming single rows of pellets; that has an `agitator for feedingpellets into the channels; that has feeding channels adjoining andoverlying a rotating dial; that has a slidetransverse to the deliveryend of the channels, the slide having a side aperture into a verticalV-shaped groove and .a clamp for loosely holding the pellets in thegroove which is operable by a cam as the slide protrudes from the slidehousing, so that the pellets are carried to a predetermined pointoutside the housing; that has a pivoted arm held in position by a springunder the V-groove and over the above-mentioned predetermined point,which point may be the axis of a vertically reciprocate ing frictionallymounted ram adapted to push an explosive pellet, or a plurality ofexplosive pellets down into a cup, the arm being swingable, when a cupis in position axially below the ram, away from the axis of the ram andthe cup against a spring, but remaining beneath the pellets if no cup isin the receptive position, thereby Apreventing the spilling of anexplosive pellet and causing a complete reciprocation of the slide untila receptive cup is in position. The slide may move thev-groove to aplurality of positions successively, opposite the delivery end of eachchannel, for accumulating a plurality of pellets, one atop the other,which may be simultaneously carried to the predetermined point andrammed down into a receptive cup as a unit.

I-Ieretofore the highly explosive pellets used in detonators have beenmanually positioned and this device is the rst mechanism to loaddetonator cups mechanically with highly explosive pellets. Factorsindependent of mechanical perations, such as Variation in materials andcompositions, sometimes unpredictable, may be anticipated by encasingthe entire mechanism in an explosion-proof housing.

Explosive detonator pellets are vpreferably cylindrical in form, theheight being less than the Harry W. Morgan, Phillipsburg, N. J.,assigner to The Canister Company, Phillipsburg, N. J., a corporation ofNew Jersey n Application April 19, 1939, Serial No. 268,756

diameter so that the pellets may be arranged for feeding on to the dialof the device on a tray covered with a plane glass at a heightsufficient to keep the cylinders upright as they are fed by a pusherslide.

The device may be operated from .a vertical rotatable shaft which turnsthe dial and two cams, one cam moving a spring-retracted lever toactuate the agitator smoothly, and the other cam actuating a secondspring-retracted lever which reciprocates the V-groove slide.

Reference is made to the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan View showing the slide in the delivery position over adetonator cup.

Fig, 2 is an elevation looking at the delivery side.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the lline 3 3 of Fig. 1, looking in thedirection of the arrows.v

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan of the slide.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig, 4, looking in the directionof the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6 5 of Fig. 4, looking in thedirection of the arrows.

A flat table I0 mounts a casting I I which has a bushing I2 over acentral bore I3 in the table Ill. A bearing I4 is secured centrallybelow the bore I3 to the table I0 by a bolt I5. A gear I6 is secured bya pin I'I .to a stub shaft I8 rotatable in the bearing Ill. Thru anintermediate I3 and pin 2I the shaft I 8 is secured to rotate with astub shaft 22, the latter rotating in the bearing I2. A shoulder 23 onshaft 22 definitely positions the Stub shaft 22 on the bearing I2 andprovides an annular sea-t on the upper side. A reduced end 24 of shaft23 terminates in a screwthreaded stub 25 adapted for a nut 26. The gearI6 is connected with the power to rotate with the shaftingcounterclockwise.

A plate 27 is mounted atop the casting II above which is secured acorner bracket 28 by screws 3|. At the rear a slide housing 29is mountedon the casting I I.

' A shelf 32 for feeding explosive pellets has side walls 33 connectedat one side with a circular wall 34 which has an enlargement at the endthru which a screw 35 passes to lock it to the end of vthe slide housing29. `The other end ofthe circular wall 34 is secured by a screw 36 tothe top of housing 29. The bottom of the Wall 34 closely overlies a flatdial or circular disk 31 which is secured by screw 159 to collar 40 androtates with the stub shaft 22 in a counterclock- Wise direction. Thedial 31 has a smooth polished surface upon which cylindrical pellets.are slidable with slightffrictional resistance as hereinafter madeclear.

Explosive pellets E95 cylindrical in form but of a height less than thediameter of the pellets `are arranged flat on a tray, which is coveredwith plane glass at a height sufcient to clear the tops but to keep thepellets upright, and the tray is mounted on the shelf 32 adjacent thedial 31 and the `pellets may be pushed on the dial by a suitable pusher,manually or otherwise.

A plate (il, closely overlying the top of the dial 31, and having athickness greater than the height of the explosive pellets, isirregularly shaped in periphery, presenting a circular vedge on the sideopposing the shelf 32 which develops into an oppostely disposedeccentric curved edge on the other side. On the opposite side the plate4l is attached by brackets 42 to the top of plate 21 by screws 43. Theinner Aedge of the plate 21 and the outer edge of the plate 4l arebounded by a similar arcuate curve and a divider ri4 having similararcuate curves is-centrally positioned between the edges of platesv `Alland 21 and supported above the dial 31 by screws 45 thru the brackets 42to provide an arcuate track or channel 45 and a similar track or channel41, both a bit wider than the explosive pellets. A plate 48 secured byscrews on plate 4I extends out over the dial 31 at a height from dial.31a bit more than the height of an explosive pellet and prevents a pelletgetting atop another pellet. The edge of plate 4| tends to feed thepellets into the opening into rchannel 41 as the dial rotates, thefriction between the top of dial 31 and the bottoms of the pellets beingsufiicient for this purpose.

An agitator l is slidingly secured atop the left end of the divider 44by two screw and slot connections 52, and has an arcuate finger 53 foragitating the pellets on the dial 31 to facilitate their feed. AnL-lever 54 has at the outer end of the longer arm a transverse pin andslot connection 55 with the agitator 5l, mounting 56 on the plate 4l, atension spring 51 tied to the long arm of the lever 54 at 5D and pinnedto the plate 4l, and the inner end of the short arm of the lever 54engaging an octagonal cam 53 which therefore continuously agitates theagitator 5I to provide a constant feed into the channels 46, 41 so thatthe explosive pellets ll the channels in single rows, one pelletcontacting another pellet.

The delivery end of the channel 46 has a depression 59 which is as deepas the height of an explosive pellet so that a pellet, from channel 41can be fed on top of a pellet from the channel i6 as will be hereinafterset forth.

a pivot A slide 6! is mounted in the housing 29V and in cross sectionhas the form of an inverted trapezium with the sides symmetrical and theadjoining sides of a slot in the housing. 29 are similar in form tothesidesof the slide but with flat walls partially overlying the slide.This mounting is exact thruout. Exact adjustment of the slot is procuredby a fiat piece 19 adjustable by set screws 3E in the housing 29. Agentle motion Vof the slide is procured by means .of a superstructure 62which is slotted for movement of a block 63 therein along the axis ofthe slide. Opposed countersinks in the end of the `superstructure 62 andblock 63 mount the ends of a coil spring 64 so that any possible shocksinimicable to explosive pellets are absorbed.' A post 65 is mounted inthe block 63 and also` atk the upper end in a slide 66 carried in atracked re- .the slide housing 29.

cess in-one end of an arm 61, the other end of which has a pivotalmounting 68 on an exten,- sion of the bracket 28. Intermediate the endsof the arm 61 a bolt B9 supports beneath the arm a rotatable. collar 1lthe side of which engages the side of aca-m 12 xed on the reduced shaft24 on the annual shoulder atop shaft 22 by the nut 26. The cam 12 is soshaped as to provide for reciprocating the slide 6l and holding it invarious positions for predetermined intervals of time. A tensionspring`13 is secured to a post 14 on the top of the arm 61 between thecam 12 and the free end of the arm 61, and to the end of anarm 15extending from the left end 0f It is\ obvious that the spring 'i3 holdsthe roller collar 1l inV continuous engagement with the cam 12.

At the right end the slide tl'nsupports an eX- tension 16 in the frontedge of which isb V-gl'OVe Vertical slot 11.l As clearly shown in fg- 4'hS V-groove slot is open to the channel 41'W11BI1 the slide is in theproper position at the lef 01" inner end of the slide movement, but asthe sdi moves left from the discharging position sh0wn""\ in Figs. 1 and3 it iirst passes the opening from the channel 46. Requisite time forthe movement of a pellet from either channel 46 or 41 into the V-groove11 is provided by suitable forming of the periphery of the cam 12. Asshown in Fig. 1l a set-screw 18 in the end of the slide housing 29extends thru the arm 15 against which a locking nut 19 may be tightenedto exactly position the V-groove 11 with reference-.to the channel 41 sothat no pressure can beexerted on the explosive pellets as they arepushed from the channel 41. At'the delivery end of channel 46 a smallgate 83 is provided to prevent explosions. The V-groove 11 in extension16 is made to grasp pellets |65 and to centralize .themlin the groove.Pellets vary in diameter and with smaller pellets, the pellet following,which slightly enters the V-groove 11 is cammed back intovthe channel 46by the radial nose on the clamp block 93.` At the same time that the V-groove 11 picks up the second pellet the gate 83 closes thus keeping thepellet from being crushed by the sharp corner of the V-groove andcausing an-explosion. Gate 83 is operated by the spring S2 which isfastened in a groove in the plate 85. A cam 84 secured by screws orotherwise near the periphery and on the bottom of the kdial 31 actuatesa follower 8| which in turn vactuates the spring 812' and the gate 83 asthe dial rotates. AY pin thru a slot in the follower 8l keeps it inposition on the plate- 89.

HeusingZB mounts a set screw 81 and locking nut 88 therefor, the innerend of the screw 81 providing a-stop to engage the right end of thesuperstructure 62 on the slide 6l to exactly determine the extreme rightposition of the slide 6|.

As shown in Fig. 4 the slide extension 16 has a lateralextension 89opposite the `V-groove 11 and a pin 9i, connecting with an axial boretherein locks the left end of a bolt'92. Slidably mounted on the bolt921 is an L-shaped piece 93 having top and bottom cutaways andpermittingthe partial rotation of a latch 94 pivotally mounted on a pin 95. Aroundthe bolt 92 is a coil spring 95 which bears against the youtside Wall ofthe piece 93 and is 4adjustably secured at the outer end by lock nuts 91to exert a gentle pressure onvpiece 93. It

, is clear that as the latch 94 moves to the right and passes the wallof housing 29 the eccentric vengagementgof one end with the extension 89causes it to swing lto the position shown in Fig. 1

I position under the V-groove which allows the spring 9B to push thepiece 93 toward the V-groove and to resiliently grip any pellets in thegroove and hold them against dropping out of the bottom of the groove asthe extension 16 moves outside its housing. The corner of the piece 93proximate the channels All and 41 is rounded to prevent a portion ofa-following pellet from being broken off and gently forces the pelletback into the channel. When the extension 'I6 is retracted the latch 94is c'ammed by the Wall of the housing 29 back into the position shown inFig. 4 and piece 93 pushed back against the tension of the spring 96 toopen up the V- groove 'Il wider for the facile insertion of explosivepellets therein. Exact adjustments and gentle action can be maintainedthruout.

A at arm 9B has a pivotal mounting 99 on a part of housing 29 and isyieldably heldin the extended position by a spring I lll. The flat arm98 normally engages the bottom of and 93 and the bottom of the V-groove'Il is closed thereby. As detonator cups are pushed by mechanism (notshown) into the receptive 'I'I the cup mountand away from the spring Ito permit a ing pushes the arm 98 out V-groove 'Il against the ram 02which has a frictional mounting |03 to descend through the v-groove 'I1and press the pellet down into a detonator cup held below the ram |02,but if no detonator cup is in the receptive position, arm 98 is notpushed away by the detonator cup mechanism but remains as a closure ofthe bottom of the V-groove 'il and the explosive pellets are carriedback thru a full reciprocation of the slide '16, or repeatedly, until adetonator cup is in the receptive position, so that no explosive pelletsare spilled about the mechanism with resulting danger of explosion.

On the return stroke of the slide 16, or in any other position outsidethe V-groove 77 the side wall of the slide forms a stop preventing theexit of pellets from the channels 46 and ll'l. The slide is related tothe operating cam so that the V-groove first stops at the delivery end59 of channel 46 and loads a pellet in the lower part of the V-groove.Then it moves to the delivery end of channel il where another pellet HB5is pushed the parts 'I6 in on top of the rst pellet by the action of thedial 37. Both pellets are fixed exactly on each other by the springpressure of part 93 against the pellets and the V-side of the groove sothat they are both axially adjusted and aligned with the axis of the ramH12 in the delivery position.

Variations in details will readily occur to those skilled in the art, inview of my disclosure, but within the spirit and scope of my invention,and

I do not therefore limit myself to the exact disclosure.

I claim:

1. A mechanism for feeding pellets comprising, in combination, arotatable dial, a plurality of channels over the dial and havingopenings opposed to the direction of rotation of the dial and slidetransverse to the channels, having means for recelving a pellet fromeach channel succes- (siivily, and movable to a delivery point outsidethe 2. A mechanism for feeding pellets comprising, in combination,

channel being lower than that of another, and a slide transverse to thechannels, having aclamp for receiving a pellet from each channelsuccessively and holding them frictionally, one atop the other, andmovable to a delivery point outside the dial.

3. A mechanism for feeding pellets comprising, in combination, arotatable dial, a plurality of channels over the dial and havingopenings opposed t0 the direction of rotation of the d ial and deliveryopenings, a slide transverse to the channels, having a clamp forreceiving a pellet from each channel successively and holding themfrictionally, one atop the other, and movable to a delivery pointoutside the dial, and an arm normally underlying the slide at thedelivery point but movable away from the delivery point.

fl. A mechanism for feeding pellets comprising, in combination, arotatable dial, a plurality of channels over the dial and havingopenings opposed to the direction of rotation of the dial and deliveryopenings, a slide transverse to the channels, having a clamp forreceiving a pellet from each channel successively and holding themfrictionally, one atop the other, and movable to a delivery pointoutside the dial, and an arm pivotally mounted and underlying the slideat the delivery point and under spring tension and movable against thetension of ltlie spring away from the delivery point.

5. A mechanism for feeding pellets comprising, in combination, arotatable dial, a channel over the dial and having an opening opposed tothe direction of rotation of the Opening, an agitator for feedingpellets into theJ channel, and means for receiving and positioning thepellets as they issue from the channel.

6. A mechanism for feeding pellets comprising, in combination, arotatable dial, a channel over the dial and having an opening opposed tothe direction of rotation of the dial and a delivery opening, anagitato-r for feeding pellets into the channel, means for moving saidagitator comprising a spring and a rotatable cam, and means forreceiving and positioning the pellets as they issue from the channel.

7. A mechanism for feeding pellets comprising, in combination, arotatable dial, a plurality of channels over the dial and havingopenings opposed to the direction of rotation of the dial and deliveryopenings at the opposite end, the delivery opening of one channel beinglower than that of the otherl channel, and a slide transverse to thechannels, having means for receiving a pellet from each channelsuccessively, and movable to a delivery point outside the dial.

8. A mechanism for feeding pellets comprising, in combination, arotatable dial, a channel over the dial and having an opening opposed tothe direction of rotation of the dial and a delivery opening, a gate atthe delivery opening, means on the dial for operating said gate, andmeans for receiving and positioning the pellets as they issue from thechannel.

9. A mechanismfor feeding pellets comprising, in combination, arotatable dial, means for guiding the pellets on the dial, and aplurality of channels over the dial having receivingand deliveryopenings for the pellets, the receiving pellet is fed atop of another.

10. A mechanism for feeding ing, in combination,

pellets comprisa rotatable dial, means for dial and a delivery ingsbeing opposed to the rotation of the dial and the delivery opening ofone channel being lower than that of another channel, and means' formaking the service of the pellets to said channels selective.

11. A mechanism for feeding pellets comprising, in combination, arotatable dial, means for guiding the pellets on the dial, a pluralityof channels over the dial having receiving anddelivery openings for thepellets, the receiving openings being opposed to the rotation of thedial and the delivery opening of one channel being lower than that ofanother channel, and means for closing the receiving opening of one ofthe channels Without interrupting the feeding of pellets to the otherchannel.

12. A mechanism for feeding pellets comprising, in combination, arotatable dial, means for guiding the pellets on the dial, a pluralityof channels over the dial having receiving and der livery openings forthe pellets, the receiving openings being opposed tothe rotation of thedial and the delivery opening of one channel being lower than that ofanother channel, and means for automatically interrupting the deliveryof the pellets from said delivery openings under given conditions.

13. A mechanism for feeding pellets comprising, in combination, arotatable dial, a plurality of channels over the dial and havingopenings opposed to the direction of rotation of the dial and deliveryopenings, the delivery opening of one channel being lower than that ofanothena slide transverse to the channels, having means for receiving apellet from each channel successively and holding them frictionally, oneatop the other, means for reciprocating the slidesuccessively withrespect to the delivery openings of said channels, and means for movingthe slide to a delivery point outside the dial.

HARRY W. MORGAN.

